Christmas Eve was an entire day affair.

We did all we could to sleep in.

While I ran to the store for some last minute shopping needs, Karl and the kids sat at the counter and used their new modeling clay from Krysta.

Lucas made french fries…

Mirah worked on a Bunny.

While out I got this little Christmas bundle.

After hours of cutting veggies, frying bacon, thawing creme puffs, making pink salad- by Mid afternoon the BIG SANDWICHES were ready to assemble.

We couldn’t decided on one bag of chips, and we did pink salad instead of potato salad (the Hite tradition) since no one but me would eat it.

My plate. We made it a little extra deluxe with Martinelli’s.

Me: Havarti Cheese, Pastrami, fried pepperoni, avocado, ranch, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, sprouts.

Karl: Swiss cheese, Bacon, Fried pepperoni, Roast beef, Avocado, Sprouts, pickles, Tomato, Mayo, Lettuce.

Lucas: Munster cheese, Bacon, Turkey, Tomato, Lettuce

Mirah: Havarti cheese, tomato, salami, and pickles.

We also had some of our holiday tradition, Crandall’s fresh apple cider.

After dinner we did our last advent box for the season.

Here are the kids with their whole sets. Lucas with his Star Wars:

Mirah with her Harry Potter.

Both sets are to become communal property after today, but we will see what life brings. Just look at these cuties.

I probably won’t do these huge sets every year, but on after a year like 2020, where we weren’t able to do so many of our fun traditions, it seemed appropriate to try and give the kids a little something special to look forward to every day.

The kids got dressed in their Christmas outfits.

The annual Christmas Sing at Cascade was canceled this year. The kids still learned their songs, but they didn’t preform them like they usually did. So they kids did an official performance for us as a part of our Christmas Eve celebrations.

We had Grandma on Face Time while the kids sang:

Christmas Cookies

 

Mirah took her turn

Santa Claus is coming to town in Mandarin:

Mistletoe:

After that, we brought out the Christmas bells, and the big pad of paper and we played Christmas songs on the Bells!

Mom and Dad were on Face Time again as we made our way through the Christmas songs.

We had spent hours over the past few weeks transcribing songs to play.

After the bells were put away, we read the Pipkin Family Christmas story:

The Littlest Angel.

Then we opened Christmas PJ’s. Even sweet miss Luna had a pair.

It was a STRUGGLE getting them on her:

We matched, and of course we had to get some pictures!

 

My babies.

Getting a good one with Luna proved to be very challenging.

She was loving all of this attention. Everyone was saying her name so nicely.

In the end we ended up in a pile on the floor.

My loves.

Me and my loves.

LUNA!

We opened our presents from our Cousins.

Then we read the Hite family’s Christmas book, Why Giving is Nice.

We got pictures over the evening from some of our BELOVED family who were not celebrating with us.

I think we watched a movie, but I can’t remember which one. We did however play games at the table, and Mirah finished her last pot holder Christmas gift. I think this one was for Grandma Pippy.

Then time for bed, Santa is coming!